West And Zimmermans Definition Of Gender

The words gender and sex may sound like the same words with the same meaning; it is often neglected how those two words convey different meanings that collide into each other, not because they have the same meaning but because they are closely related. Sex, normally perceived as a biological trait of a human being, is the character each individual has that help distinguish woman from man by eyes. Gender, although it may seem similar to what sex is, it conveys deeper meaning of one being, which combines perception, societal norms and basic traits of a human being. If one person looks like a female, she is not necessarily feminine in gender. In fact, the gender can be defined as a label that describes individuals with different biological traits,

They claim that “sex is a determination made through the application of socially agreed upon biological criteria for classifying persons as females or males. The classification can be genitalia at birth or chromosomal typing before birth, and they do not necessarily agree with one another” (pg. 127). Sex category, by their claim, is “established and sustained by socially required identificatory displays that proclaim one’s membership in one or the other category. In this sense, one’ sex category presumes one’s sex and stands as proxy for it in many situations, but sex and sex category can vary independently; that is, it is possible to claim membership in a sex category even when the sex criteria are lacking”. Lastly, West and Zimmerman define gender as “the activity of managing situated conduct in light of normative conceptions of attitudes and activities appropriate for one’s sex category. Gender activities emerge from and bolster claims to membership in a sex category” (West & Zimmerman, 1987, pg. 127). The classification of sex, sex category and gender by West and Zimmerman (1987) can be puzzling, but acceptable as it clearly distinguishes each word and illustrate how we can be defined in a society. These definitions, although not as applicable for past years, are